The invention concerns a vibrator for shaking materials, comprising a drive, a shaft which can be connected to the drive and which is supported on the casing, at least by a bearing, and further comprising an imbalance member supported by the shaft, in the form of an inert mass arranged eccentrically of the shaft.
There are a wide variety of vibrators of this description, some of which are used e.g. on containers, to empty them or to vibrate machine components such as conveying means and the like, as a means of keeping flowable materials able to flow. Such vibrators are particularly desirable when bulk materials are being conveyed.
Another application of the above-mentioned known vibrators is in compacting building materials, particularly concrete. In this field vibrators with a tubular casing are known, in which an electric motor and an adjacent imbalance member are arranged, mounted in the casing at both sides. The shaft carrying the imbalance member and the rotor of the electric motor are often the same part, although connections in the drive are also known. These vibrators, which are also known as vibrating bottles or internal vibrators, need to be well mounted. Bearings are liable to wear and have to be exchanged at set intervals. The mounting process involved is an intricate one.
A common feature of all vibrators with imbalance is that an eccentric or an imbalance member is seated on the shaft rotated by the drive, and is generally connected to the shaft by a force. The known imbalance member may be connected to the shaft by a force, e.g. through welding, screwing, clamping or even moulding it onto the shaft. The centrifugal force which results from rotation of the imbalance member is transmitted by bearings to the casing, so that this vibrates the materials in the desired manner.
The mounting of the bearings for the shaft unfortunately involves stoppages, which are serious particularly because the bearings, which wear out relatively quickly and the inner ring of which is fitted securely onto the shaft, can only be removed with difficulty. For this purpose pulling off devices are used in the known case but are difficult to insert between the imbalance and the bearing. Only if this is done, however, can the bearing be successfully dismantled and exchanged, particularly if the pulling off device also engages the inner ring of the bearing.
The invention therefore aims to improve the vibrator of the above type so as to make it easier to mount.